Hello, I am very sorry that it has taken so long for me to up-date. I never forgot about the story, and I have every intention of finishing it. I just had a lot of stuff for school going on. I also did say that I was writing another story too, so I got caught up in that. Like I said before I plan to form now on up-date once a week at the least, one chapter for this story and one for the other.
ThisStoryIsAwesome. Thank you very much for your review. I hope you will read the rest of the story, and may review once in a while.
The ceremony had been very quick, much to Toph's delight. Katara and Zuko had also been very eager to have the ceremony over with, as fast as possible. Not that they didn't enjoy the moment, or respect its importance. They just couldn't wait to be married. It felt like they had been waiting, planning for this for so long. Neither could keep the smiles from their faces. Though they were able to keep their smiles form spreading across their whole face. That was until the ceremony was over, then there was no holding it back any more.
Sokka watched and smiled a little too, clapped as he was expected to, but there was a far of look in his eyes. He missed Suki, and their son. He wanted his family here with him, his whole family. He kept all of this hidden. You could only see his slight sadness if you looked closely in his eyes. Toph if anyone took the time to look had a similar look in her eyes. She too was thinking about the people that weren't here, when they should be.
The main hall was filled with large circular tables. Except for a clear area were people were dancing, and the band was playing. The music filled the room, but it was not enough to drawn out the voices in Toph's head. She was sitting at her table, her head held up by her hand. Rather than the music filling her head, it was the chatter from the table next to her. A group of three noble women form the fire nation court sat in a small group. Heads bent together, like they were conspiring, rather than making remarks about the other lady's dresses.
At first Toph had been able to ignore them, but then they started talking about her. About how her dress was improper, she should have kept her shawl on. She had taken it off after entering the main hall. The mixture of a large group of people in close proximity, and many torches of burning fire made it so hot for even a thin shawl like hers. In her mind she wanted to ask, how they could stand to wear the heavy dresses they were, but she said nothing.
After a while they started talking about her again. "I head she has lost her ability to bend."
"Really, why. I guess it may help her get a husband. She is quit pretty in away, but so thin….That age and still not married." This was said with a shacking of the head.
"I don't think it will help much. It's to do with the avatar I heard."
"Yes I think I heard that too. She was in love with him. When he rejected her, she simply lost the power."
"No I heard it was him that loved her. When she rejected him, he took her bending away."
Her blood was burning; her free hand was clenched shut. She promised that if they said one more things then she would say something, anything."
"What difference does it make. The fact is now, the one thing that was good about her, apart from her family, and that will only get her so far, is gone."
That was it.
She was half way between standing and sitting, when a hand came down on her shoulder. "Come on, it's time you danced." She pulled herself up, and turned to face Sokka. "You can't sit there all night." She was giving him her leave me along stare. " Look, if I have to make an effort when my wife isn't here then so do you." He never gave her the change to sit back down or say anything. He took hold of her arm and pulled her towards the dance floor.
Just as they passed the table with the gaggle of women, she pulled her arm free. Lifting it into slowly up a little. Moving the three hands of the women as well. They reached out and took hold of their wine glasses. Toph lifted her arm up in the air, and so did they. A slight grin crossed her face, as she tilted her hand a little towards herself.
A series of loud screams suddenly filled the room. The three women, jumped to their feet. Their eyes locked on their fancy dresses, now stained with red wine, from the glasses they had poured over themselves. Hiding her smile, and fighting back her laughter, Toph walked over to them.
"The one thing you were so sure about was the one thing you were so wrong about." Her voice came out overly sweet, but there was a ting of malic to it. Turning away she linked her arm with Sokka's, and was now the one leading him towards the dance floor.
The movements they made on the dance floor could not be called dancing. They stepped slowly and awkwardly, trying to copy the other dancers. This had seemed like a better idea in Sokka's head. When the music slowed down, they didn't have to try so hard to keep up, and were able to talk.
"You miss them." He nodded.
"You miss him." She didn't nod, but she did move her head to the side, so he couldn't see her face. "Its ok if you do, it's ok to be human, to…"
"Stop." It was now his turn to look away, glancing over the whole hall.
After a while she spoke again. "I don't miss him. He choose to leave again, leave us all behind. I miss the freedom, that's all."
"Things not going will with your parents."
Her face suddenly turned to face him. "No. thinks are not going well with my father." She stressed the importance of the word father.
"Maybe it's for the best…." Before he could say more, she quickly pulled away. She was looking back at him now with a look of shock and confusion. "I mean…if you have a life of your own, responsibilities…..following him around, it not good for you."
Her already large eyes widen in dibelife. "You….you don't get it."
As quickly as she could she made her way form the dance floor, from the hall and gout into the palace gardens. This was harder than it should have been, due to the huge number of people she had to push past. With a sigh, Sokka followed after her. When he too was outside he saw her stomping of to further into the garden.
"Are you I love with him."
His voice was raise so that it could be heard over the music spilling out from the hall. The words stopped Toph in her tracks. After a second she quickly turned to face him.
"Don't be stupid."
Sokka now walked towards her. "Then why do you…."
"I never followed after him. He asked for my help. As a friend I gave him it."
Sokka had been ready for a fight, knowing her well enough that when she was like this a fight was inventible. With all that was going on he really didn't want to fight with her now. So he tried a right approach. Slowly he lifted his hands and placed them on her shoulders.
"Toph, you my friend too, so Aang. I care about you both, we all do. I just think that it's best that you take time apart. Whenever you spend time together like you have been, something always happens…..you get hurt, Toph. Not him you."
"I can take care of myself. I don't need you, or anyone telling me what to do." She shrugged his arms off her, and turned to walk away.
"This isn't to do with Aang is it." She stopped walking away. "It about your father…."
"I hate it there." Her voice was low, but he heard it, just loud enough to be heard over the music. He stepped closer to her. He was about to place his hands on her shoulders again, but she moved away before he could. Turning to face him.
"Then why don't you leave….."
"I can't."
If he wasn't standing right next to her, he would not have heard her, she spoke so quietly. She didn't have to say anymore, even Sokka understood. She was still to weak to get away, she had been trapped again. Worse will she just didn't seem to have to will to try. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, as the music continued to fill the air.
The next day Sokka and the newlyweds along with their families boarded a ship to take them to the South Pole, for the second wedding ceremony. Toph saw then off at the port, wanting to put of her return to her father's home for as long as she could.
Thank you for reading. I know it was bad and short. I just wanted to get this part done, so I could move onto the next one. Which will be better, I promise. I really hope that you liked it. That if you have read the story up till this point, you will keep reading, and if you have just started that you would maybe read the parts before this one.
There is a link to what Toph's dress looks like in my profile. It is under the where do we go from here part, it the last, or second last link.
This was the last chapter for this part. The next part is "Where do we go from here 13: heaven and earth" it should be up-dated by the weekend.
Also if you could please review, let me know what you think that would be great, I would appreciate it, thanks.